A Dangerous Find
by The Vampire Jewel
Summary: This AU fic has elements, themes and characters that are based on the Season 4 episode “The Curse”. Slight alternate take on Daniel’s past in order to integrate my own original character. Please read and review! Cheers!
1. Chapter 1

Dr Kaitlyn Richards studied the amulet carefully, her green eyes sparkling, amazed at the wonder she held in her hands. She gently ran her fingers over the gemstones, almost shaking her head in disbelief. It was definitely Osiris, which was clear from the depiction and also the inscription of hieroglyphics down the front. What was unusual though, were the second lot of markings next to the normal glyphs. They weren't quite the same dialect as the others, though they were close. Maybe an older dialect of Ancient Egyptian? Kaitlyn furrowed her brow. She had a doctorate in archaeology, specialising in Ancient Egyptian culture and had just finished her second doctorate in Norse Mythology. The fact that this inscription was eluding her, frustrated her no end.

Grabbing a few books off the shelf, Kaitlyn rifled through them to see if she could find anything she'd perhaps forgotten or missed, however the search turned out fruitless. Not content in just letting it go, Kaitlyn decided to take the amulet down to the lab to have a second pair of eyes look over it. If anyone would know, it would be Dr Jordan.

Down in the lab, as per usual, Dr Jordan was hunched over something, studying it closely as Kaitlyn wandered in. Noticing her, he looked up and smiled, a magnifier stuck in his left eye.

Kaitlyn couldn't help but smile. He was a true geek, yet managed to always look so refined at the same time. It was definitely a pleasure and honour to be working with him.

"Hello, Dr Richards. How's the day treating you?" his jovial voice asked.

Kaitlyn walked over to Dr Jordan, a confused look on her face. "Well, to be honest sir, I've been puzzling over this amulet for the last 2 hours, trying to work out the other dialect next to the glyphs. It looks like Ancient Egyptian however it doesn't match exactly to anything I have ever seen or known. I was hoping you could take a look and point out to me, no doubt quite obviously, what I've missed," she said with a smirk, an in joke between them. There had been times in the past when Kaitlyn had gone to Dr Jordan for help about a problem she'd pored over for hours only to have him solve the puzzle within several minutes.

Dr Jordan chuckled lightly. "We'll see, shall we?" and took the amulet Kaitlyn offered. Bringing the artifact up to his magnifier, Dr Jordan examined it closely. Well, Kaitlyn was certainly right. It looked like Ancient Egyptian dialect but had a slight variance on the usual glyphs.

Kaitlyn looked at Dr Jordan, somewhat surprised, a smile of realisation crossing her face. "You don't know either, do you," she said quietly, though it wasn't smug. If Dr Jordan didn't know what the dialect was, she wondered who would? "Maybe it pre-dates the Ancient Egyptians? I mean, I know that sounds a little out there," she said, making a silly face on 'out there'. "What else could it be?"

"What else could what be?" a voice called from the doorway.

Dr Jordan and Kaitlyn looked up to find Steven Rayner making his way over to them. Steven was a promising student, though Kaitlyn didn't have a lot of time for him. He was cocky and she felt his intentions for finding ancient artifacts was more out of greed & notoriety than scientific advancement.

"Hello, Steven," Dr Jordan said politely. "Dr Richards and I were trying to work out the dialect on this amulet here. I certainly don't recognise it. "

Steven was taken aback somewhat. There was almost nothing David Jordan didn't know about ancient cultures. "Mind if I take a look?" he asked.

"Be my guest." Dr Jordan handed the amulet to Steven, who studied it closely, hoping to find an answer and show up Kaitlyn, though he knew, if Dr Jordan had no idea, his chances were pretty slim. It was known that Kaitlyn and Steven didn't really see eye to eye. Steven shook his head. "No, I don't know either.

Nodding to himself, Dr Jordan looked down at the amulet again. "I'll get Nick to run a carbon test on it. It'll give us more of an idea where to start looking. If this is as old as we think it might be …" Dr Jordan trailed off and looked up at his protégés. Kaitlyn knew what he wasn't saying. If it _did_ pre-date the Ancient Egyptians, it would be the find of the century. She caught Steven's eye, realising he had come to the same conclusion.

"Uh…how about I get this down to Nick and see what he turns up?" Steven offered.

"Thank you, Steven, I'd appreciate that," Dr Jordan said happily. "I want to finish going through a few things here.

Steven smiled, giving Kaitlyn a smug look before he turned and headed out.

Kaitlyn narrowed her eyes briefly, wondering what Steven was up to. He had that weasly expression on his face. No matter, she was the senior archaeologist under Dr Jordan. Nick would send her the results.

Heading back to her office, Kaitlyn became somewhat edgy and unable to sit still. Could this really be it? A chance to prove that there was life before the Ancient Egyptians or that their civilisation was older than was originally thought?

As she sank into her chair, Kaitlyn realised something else. If this was true, she knew of a certain someone who would be eager to know as well. She smiled, albeit a little sadly, at the thought. It had been close to 5 years since she'd spoken to him, and, truth be told, she missed him a great deal. Kaitlyn would love nothing more than for this to be a vindication, if nothing else, to clear his name. It would certainly cause a lot of people to eat their contemptuous words.

Later that evening, Kaitlyn was pacing her office, ready to head home, though she knew she wasn't going _anywhere_ until Nick's results came through. Walking back to her desk for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour, she clicked "Send/Receive" on her email. To her utter delight, there was finally an email from Nick with the results of the test. She skimmed over all the preliminary junk, scrolling through to what she wanted to read most. As her eyes came to rest on the result, Kaitlyn's mouth gaped.

"Oh my god…" she whispered, momentarily paralysed, her eyes not able to leave the screen. The number screamed at her like a bright, neon sign.

Snapping out of her reverie, Kaitlyn grabbed her bag and her cell and tore out of her office, down to the artifacts lab to see if Dr Jordan was still there. He wasn't. He was probably in the test lab with Nick. It felt as though her feet wouldn't carry her fast enough. Just before she entered Nick's lab, Kaitlyn composed herself. The familiar face of Dr Nick Almeida smiled at her as she walked in, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I can't believe it, Kait! This is…just…I can't even find words to describe it," he said in whispered tones, his whole face red with excitement.

"Nick, why are you whispering?" Kaitlyn whispered back loudly, almost laughing.

Nick shrugged and looked at Kaitlyn conspiratorially. "Come on, this is not the sort of news you want to scream out just yet, right?" he said with a laugh.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and laughed. "You watch too much TV, Nick. Oh, you haven't seen Dr Jordan have you?"

"No, I haven't. He was supposed to come by so we could discuss all of today's results, especially this one, but that was half an hour ago."

"Weird. That's a little unlike him."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Guess he's just tied up with something."

Kaitlyn bit her lip. "OK, I'm going to see if he's back in his office. I'll be back in a sec." Kaitlyn turned to head out, though quickly changed her mind and picked up the amulet. She wrapped it carefully in its cloth and nodded to Nick. "I might take this back to Dr Jordan."

Heading back down the hallway and up the stairs, Kaitlyn poked her head into Dr Jordan's empty office. No sign of him. Just as Kaitlyn was about to leave, she noticed his cell phone still sitting on his desk. OK, now _that _was strange also. Dr Jordan always had his phone with him. What was going on here? Frustrated, Kaitlyn headed out and back down toward Nick's lab. Rushing in, she was horrified to see Nick unconscious on the ground. She knelt down beside him and checked his pulse. He was still alive, just out cold. Papers were strewn everywhere, tools were on the floor or tipped over & drawers had been opened & dropped onto the floor. It was clear that someone had been looking for something. Didn't take a rocket scientist to work out what…

What the hell was going on? Dr Jordan wasn't in any of the labs, his office or anywhere close by that she'd seen. His cell phone was still sitting on his desk and Nick was unconscious. Kaitlyn felt her stomach turn. This was _so_ not good.

Still holding the amulet, Kaitlyn carefully tucked it into her bag. She certainly had no intention of stealing it, though until her mind was at ease, she wanted to keep it safe. This was going to be the big news pretty soon and it seemed someone wanted it pretty badly.

Just as she was about to head out of Nick's lab and call for help, Steven appeared in the doorway, gun in hand, aimed straight at her. Kaitlyn sucked in a breath, almost jumping in fright.

"Steven, what the _hell_ are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"Give it to me, Kaitlyn and I won't hurt you."

"Give you what?"

"Don't play dumb, Richards. You know very well what! I am not going to allow you to take credit for this. It's my turn, dammit! I _am not_ content to be in anyone's shadow anymore."

She shook her head sadly. She often got the impression that Steven was trying too hard to prove himself. Kaitlyn knew _exactly_ whose shadow he was desperate to overtake. There was no way Steven would be able to and he was obviously coming to that realisation too. Instead of being happy with aspiring to become a great archaeologist, he had to be better. Her instincts had been right – he wasn't in it for the science.

"Tell me Steven, how much are they paying you, hmm? I mean, I sure as hell know you don't have the balls to pull something like this off on your own," Kaitlyn sneered.

Steven's lip curled at her insinuation and he advanced toward her slowly.

It was clear he wasn't confident with the gun and the fact he didn't deny her accusation told her all she needed to know.

"Hand it over, Richards and you'll live to see another day," he said, his hand shaking and body sweating.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. "God, you watch more crime shows than Nick does! Can you be any more corny?" she said, trying to rattle his confidence. There was no _way_ she was going to hand over the amulet to Steven. "Look, I don't have it, Steven. I gave it back to Dr Jordan."

"Then why are you here?"

"I just came to say goodbye to Nick on my way home, alright?" she said, keeping her voice calm and even, looking innocently at him.

Steven clenched his teeth, holding her gaze for a few moments. He began backing away before tearing off down the hall toward Dr Jordan's office.

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes again. Obviously he was even dumber than she thought. If he'd been smart about it, he would've made her go with him.

As soon as he was out of sight, Kaitlyn tore off in the other direction. She knew she didn't have much time before Steven realised she'd deceived him. She wanted to alert security to the situation, though if she did, there'd be questions asked, bags searched and she'd have to give up the amulet. No, Kaitlyn was going to have to take things into her own hands.

The problem was, where to go? She knew she couldn't go home. That would be one of the first places he'd look. There was one chance. One hope. It would be a long shot, but it was better than the options she had right now.

Not wanting to arouse suspicion, Kaitlyn calmly walked out the front door of the building, two men passing her on the way in. She didn't recognise them and it certainly seemed strange that they'd turn up at this hour. It was probable they were working with Steven. Kaitlyn kept her cool and held tightly to her satchel as she headed out. They didn't seem to notice her, though once they caught up with Steven, it would be different.

Walking quickly along the main road, Kaitlyn looked desperately for a taxi. She _had_ to get out of here and fast! At the sign of the first cab, she tore across the road.

"TAXI!!" she screamed and jumped in, noticing just as she did, Steven and the two men coming out of the building. "GO, please!" she yelled, her heart beating wildly. They tried chasing after her but the taxi was too fast. Kaitlyn turned around and faced the front, breathing a sigh of relief. Small mercies, she thought, though she knew this wasn't over yet.

"Where to, miss?" the driver asked, looking at her a little strangely.

"Airport, please. Quick as you can." Opening her satchel, Kaitlyn patted the amulet to assure herself it was still safe. Grabbing her cell, she flipped it open and began scrolling through to find the name she wanted. A panicked thought struck her then. What if they tried to trace her cell? Kaitlyn didn't think Steven would know how but the men he was with could have that sort of equipment. It might be a little far-fetched, but if Steven was prepared to point a gun at her, Kaitlyn wasn't going to take any chances. She'd have to ditch it. Quickly writing down the number she needed plus a few others just in case, Kaitlyn threw her phone out the window. "Track that", she mumbled, a small grin crossing her face.

As the scenery passed them, Kaitlyn tried to control the psychotic butterflies that were wreaking havoc in her stomach. No matter what happened, she had to play it cool and stay safe. This artifact could not, under any circumstances, fall into the wrong hands.

Paying the cab driver once they'd reached the airport, Kaitlyn held tightly to her bag and walked in, heading toward the first little cell phone dealer she saw. She quickly chose and paid for a small phone and a pre-paid card. At least no one would have this number. If Steven and the two men didn't go to Kaitlyn's home first, the airport was the next place they'd look, so she had to move fast.

Moving to a nearby wall, out of sight as much as she could, Kaitlyn pulled out the piece of paper with the number she needed. Her heart began to beat a little more, praying he'd pick up. She had no idea if he even had the same cell number anymore, though she prayed silently he would. He was the only one she trusted with this, other than Dr Jordan, but he was nowhere to be found, and who knows if he was even involved? Kaitlyn doubted this, though she hadn't exactly expected Steven to pull a gun on her either.

Carefully, she punched the number into the keypad and waited. The phone rang and rang, Kaitlyn becoming more nervous, her hands beginning to sweat. Damn, settle down, she scolded herself. He didn't pick up but his voicemail did, telling her it was still his number. Kaitlyn thanked the angels and waited for the beep.

"Uh…hi…Daniel…it's Kaitlyn…Richards. Look, I…know we haven't spoken for a long time…but I _really_ need to talk to you. It's very important," she began, her voice nervous. "I don't trust anyone else. Please…if you get this message…call me back as soon as you can. I'm at O'Hare now. Wherever you are, I'll fly to meet you. Please…just…call me back…" and left him her new cell number. At least she knew that if a call came through, it could only be Daniel.

Grabbing herself a cup of coffee, Kaitlyn tried to make herself as comfortable as she could in an uncomfortable airport chair, hoping desperately her old friend would return her call.


	2. Chapter 2

Daniel Jackson walked back into his cluttered office, still wondering how he was going to get through all the work he had to do. It was getting harder and harder to keep on top of everything as more worlds were explored and more artifacts and inscriptions found. He'd been meaning to speak to General Hammond about getting some much needed help, but, like everything, it was buried in the list of the many other things he had to do.

Sitting down at his desk, Daniel ran his hands through his hair, noticing it had grown a little bit longer than he cared to keep it these days. He would have to see to that soon, else he'd never hear the end of the Colonel's teasing about his 'girly hair'. Not that it was really that long, but Jack didn't need much of a reason to pay out on him.

Glancing at his cell, Daniel noticed he had a missed call, though it wasn't a number he recognised. He called his voicemail, eyes widening some at the voice in the message. _There_ was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. Just hearing her voice made his heart beat faster and his palms sweat. She sounded extremely panicked, though Daniel knew it had to be something pretty major for her to call him after all these years, citing she wasn't able to trust anyone else. Daniel wrote down the number she left before hanging up and dialling.

******

Kaitlyn tapped her foot nervously, wanting to get the hell out of here. Once she was on a plane, she'd feel better. The phone in her hand rang then. Thank god. Kaitlyn swallowed, trying to get rid of the dryness in her throat.

"Hello?" she asked hopefully, even though she knew it could only _be_ Daniel.

"Kaitlyn? H-hi…it's Daniel. What's going…?"

"Daniel!" she interrupted in loud whisper. "Please, wherever you are, I need to leave right now. I don't want to say anything over the phone. I don't know who might be listening but I don't have much time!"

"Whoa, Kaitlyn, slow down. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, no I'm fine. At least for now."

"For now? What do you mean? What's going on?"

"Look, I can't talk about it here." She paused for a minute, looking around her. "All I can say is…we found something. You were right, Daniel. Your theories were right. Please, tell me where you are. I have to get out of here. I'm being followed and they're probably not far behind me."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Uh…is anyone else with you? Dr Jordan? Steven?"

"No…it's a long story, Daniel. I'll tell you everything when I get there…wherever _there_ is."

"Ah…OK, well I'm in Colorado Springs, but..."

"Fine, I'll be on the next plane to Denver."

"Kaitlyn, wait…"

"Daniel, I have to go. I'm sorry, I can't explain right now. Please, just trust me. I'll call you when I get to Denver." Looking up, Kaitlyn thought she spotted Steven coming through the airport. "Shit…" she hissed. "Daniel, I have to go. They're here," and with that, ended the call.

"Kaitlyn!" Daniel protested, but was met with a busy signal, before shutting his own phone. "Crap…" and tossed it onto his desk. Kaitlyn had found something that proved his theories correct? A few years too late, he thought, laughing almost sadly to himself. He already knew that, but of course, the outside world didn't. Daniel wondered what she could've found. Knowing that Kaitlyn had a doctorate in Ancient Egyptian culture, it was most likely an inscription or artifact, that even more likely was Goa'uld. He'd have to let General Hammond know what was possibly on its way. Daniel was eager to see what it was Kaitlyn had found, because, if it was what he thought it was, things were going to get even more interesting.

"Daniel Jackson, General Hammond would like to see SG-1 in the briefing room," a deep voice said, interrupting his thoughts.

Daniel turned to see Teal'c hovering in his doorway. "Ah OK, I'm coming. I need to speak to him anyway," and with that, grabbed a notebook and pen and followed Teal'c up to the briefing room where General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were already waiting.

General Hammond opened his mouth to speak, however Daniel knew this couldn't wait until after the briefing.

"Uh, General? With your permission, I have somewhat urgent news I'd like to discuss before we begin."

"OK, Dr Jackson. What is it?"

"I had a rather disturbing phone call a few minutes ago from a former colleague back in Chicago. She seems to have stumbled onto something that I think may be of Goa'uld origin. I can't be certain, but she said they'd found something, that my theories had been right and that someone was after her for it?"

"Who is she?"

"Dr Kaitlyn Richards. She was also a student of my archaeology professor, David Jordan, though Dr Jordan isn't with her and neither is Steven, one of the other archaeologists. It all sounded very strange…"

"So where is she now?" Jack interrupted.

"On her way to Colorado. She hasn't told me what it is they've found but she sounded terrified when she called me earlier. She said she was being followed and she couldn't trust anyone else." Daniel turned to look at General Hammond. "Sir, Kaitlyn isn't the type to not trust people. Someone she knows has betrayed her. I'd like to talk to her and see what it is she's found and who's after her. If it _is_ Goa'uld, I'd rather it be here at the SGC than anywhere else.

"Agreed. When is she due here?"

"She's going to call when she arrives in Denver and give me more of an idea when she'll be in Colorado Springs. Sir, I know Kaitlyn. This is big…but we can trust her. She was one of the only ones who believed in my theories."

Hammond nodded "OK, Dr Jackson, you have a go but be sure to proceed with extreme caution. I want her brought to the SGC but kept under guard in the guest quarters. Tell her only what she needs to know. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"SG-1, I'm postponing your next mission until we get to the bottom of this. If there is a Goa'uld artifact out there, we don't want it falling into the wrong hands."

The team nodded in agreement.

"Dismissed." The members of SG-1 dispersed, heading out of the briefing room.

"Want me to drive?" Jack offered as they made their way out.

"Uh…that's OK, Jack. I'll be fine."

"OK, you can drive. I'll ride shotgun."

"Jack, if it's alright with you, I'd prefer to go alone."

"Well it's not alright with me, Daniel. If she was being followed and there's a potential situation here, you'll need back up."

Daniel sighed. There was no point arguing. Jack had made up his mind. "Fine. You can drive."

O'Neill grinned, satisfied, patting Daniel on the back on the way out. "Swell, let me know when you're ready."

Carter gave Daniel a sympathetic look. "Anything I can do, Daniel?"

"Not at the moment but thanks," he said, giving her a smile.

"I will be of assistance as well if you require, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c offered.

"Appreciate that, T." Daniel headed back down to his office and flopped into his chair. All he could do now was wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Kaitlyn bought herself a cap on the way to the bookings desk and tucked her hair underneath, keeping her head down. They wouldn't be looking for someone with a cap or short hair so it might buy her a bit of time.

"I need to be on the next flight to Denver, please," she told the clerk.

The clerk, barely looking up, tapped away at her computer "Well, I have one seat left but its in first class."

"Fine, that'll do," Kaitlyn said hurriedly, handing over her ID and a wad of cash she'd withdrawn from the ATM.

The clerk looked at Kaitlyn in a similar way the taxi driver had. There was a huge difference in price, though if you had to be somewhere…

"OK, you're all set. You better hurry. They're boarding now."

Kaitlyn thanked the clerk and walked quickly toward security, thankfully making it through without any questions being asked. Almost thrusting her boarding pass at the gate clerk, Kaitlyn swiftly walked through, being the last passenger to board.

Once they had taxied back from the gate, Kaitlyn visibly relaxed and put her head back against the seat. That had been close, though there was still a chance they could track her. She hadn't given a fake name. There'd been no time. At least by the time they worked it out, she'd hopefully be safe.

It was almost 10pm by the time she arrived in Denver. She'd had a bite to eat and drink on the flight and had splashed her face with cold water, which made her feel marginally better. Kaitlyn booked herself onto the next flight to Colorado Springs before calling Daniel again. This time she was a little more relaxed, though still somewhat on edge.

"Hello?"

"Daniel, it's Kaitlyn."

Daniel released a breath he didn't even realise he'd been holding. "Kaitlyn…good, you're OK."

"Yes, I'm alright. I'm in Denver. I've already booked a flight to Colorado Springs. I'm leaving in about 15 minutes, so I should be there at about 11pm. I hope it's not too late."

Daniel couldn't help but laugh. "Too late? Come on, Kaitlyn. You know as well as I do we archaeologists don't keep regular sleeping patterns."

Kaitlyn smiled, which was a nice change. "Good point. OK, I'll see you at the airport then?"

"I'll be there. Have a safe flight."

"I will. See you soon." Kaitlyn looked up at the departure board, confirming her flight was on time before heading toward the gate.

******

Daniel climbed into Jack's 4WD and fastened his seatbelt. He was having silent bets with himself how long it would be before he was interrogated about Kaitlyn. They drove in silence for a time, though Daniel could feel it. Any second now…

"So, Daniel. What's the deal with Dr Richards?"

And there it was. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Oh come on, Daniel! You get a call from a colleague you haven't heard from since you left Chicago and she can't trust anyone else? That seems a little far fetched, don't ya think?"

Daniel considered this. "Well, normally yes. But look what happened to me when I was so forthcoming in my theories. I was laughed at. Ridiculed. Something like this, I'm not surprised Kaitlyn felt she could only trust me with it. Besides, if someone wants whatever she has as badly as she's described, she would've been in danger staying in Chicago. I'm a little stumped though as to why, at the very least, Dr Jordan isn't with her. Maybe he's involved somehow…but I doubt it."

"Sounds all a bit cloak and dagger to me," O'Neill scoffed.

"I just wanna get to the bottom of it. I'm curious to see what it is Kaitlyn's found that could put her in potential danger."

"So that's all?" O'Neill said smugly.

Daniel glared at him. "Well…it'd be nice to see someone I haven't seen in a number of years who I worked quite closely with."

"How close?"

"Oh! Jeez…" Daniel growled.

O'Neill shrugged. "What? It's a simple question."

"Nothing happened between us if that's what you're implying."

Silence.

"Did you want it to?"

"Jack!"

Silence.

"She hot?"

Daniel almost exploded. "Dammit, Jack! Will you leave it alone?"

"Don't need to get so testy, Daniel," O'Neill said teasingly.

Daniel could feel his blood pressure rising. Truth be known, there _was_ more than he was willing to admit, even to himself, but he pushed it down. Way down.

"I just want to know if your involvement with this Dr Richards is potentially going to be a problem…you know…cloud your judgement," Jack said seriously.

"It won't," Daniel said firmly. "We're friends. That's all."

"Gettin' awful defensive about someone who's 'just a friend'."

Daniel ignored him. There was not a lot he could say that would abate O'Neill when he got hold of a bone. Silence again passed between them.

Jack glanced sideways at Daniel, watching him fidget. "So is she?"

"Is she what?"

"Hot."

Daniel rolled his eyes and clenched his teeth. Jack was stirring the pot and he knew it. Every part of him wanted to reach out and throttle the SG-1 leader, but he knew, the more he got defensive about it, the more suspicious Jack would become. He was being tested and he knew it.

He shrugged, trying to seem off-handed about it. "She's…nice looking…I guess," he managed.

O'Neill grinned inwardly. It was obvious to him that there was more to this than Daniel was letting on, but he decided not to push it anymore for now.

Daniel took another deep breath as they finally parked the car inside Colorado Springs Airport. As soon as they'd stopped, he jumped out, eager to get out of the confined space. He walked a few paces ahead of O'Neill, wanting to avoid any more questions.


	4. Chapter 4

Waiting at the gate, Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets, not wanting to fidget and bring more attention to his nervous energy. There was an awkward silence between the archaeologist and the Colonel, neither one not quite knowing what to say. Fortunately, people started filing through the gate then. Daniel's heart began to beat a little faster, the nerves setting in, watching for Kaitlyn to come through.

"There she is," Daniel said, spotting her in the crowd. "Long black hair, navy satchel," he said casually. As Daniel watched Kaitlyn walk toward them, he tried to look her over without making it obvious. Despite the fact he recognised her, she had certainly changed a lot in 5 years. The last time he'd seen her, she would've been 28, she'd worn long skirts and flowing-style tops, lots of beads and shorter black hair, very earthy. The woman walking toward him now was somewhat more sophisticated wearing fitted, black pants that hugged her slender frame, a long, black leather jacket over a fitted royal blue shirt with black boots replacing the casual sandals. Her once short black hair was now tied in a sleek ponytail that extended halfway down her back. As she came closer, one thing Daniel realised hadn't changed, were her piercing green eyes. Daniel felt his breath catch in the back of his throat.

O'Neill nudged him out of his reverie. "Hot damn," he whispered out the side of his mouth, stifling a small grin.

Kaitlyn smiled as she approached, recognising only one of the two faces that were there to greet her. She had to admit, he looked a little different. The floppy hair had gone and the awkward hunch seemed to have been replaced by a somewhat more confident stance. Even his glasses were less geeky.

"Hello, Daniel," she said softly, hugging him tightly, her thick Welsh accent coming through. "It's so good to see you."

"And you," he said warmly, as they parted, clearing his throat a little when his voice refused to come out as it should.

"I'm just glad I made it here in one piece." Kaitlyn noticed O'Neill then and smiled. "Hello."

"Uh, Kaitlyn…this is Col…uh, Jack. Jack, meet Dr Kaitlyn Richards," Daniel said, not wanting to freak Kaitlyn out by bringing the whole military side of things in just yet. " Jack's a friend," he said and looked at O'Neill, emphasising the word "friend", hoping Jack would get the hint.

O'Neill offered his hand. "Hello. I've heard a lot about you," he said, keeping a straight face but still digging the knife into Daniel somewhat.

Daniel waited to see her reaction. If she had picked up on Jack's dig, she certainly didn't show it, instead shaking the hand that was offered by O'Neill. "Nice to meet you."

"Well, now that the gang's all here, shall we head on back to the ranch?" O'Neill joked.

Kaitlyn looked over at Daniel, confused, wondering why this 'Jack' was even here.

Daniel shook his head. "Never mind. Jack's just being…Jack," and shot O'Neill a pleading look. Please don't make this uncomfortable, he prayed silently as they headed out to the car park. Daniel climbed into the back with Kaitlyn, wanting to talk to her on the way back to the SGC so he could give her a bit of heads up, at least as much as protocol would allow at this point, as to where he'd been for the last 5 years.

"Don't worry about me, kids. I live to serve," O'Neill muttered dryly when Daniel climbed into the back of the 4WD, feeling like a taxi. As much as he grumbled about it, he knew Daniel had a lot to talk about in a short time.

Kaitlyn turned to face Daniel, her satchel clutched tightly in her lap. It was so weird, seeing him sitting there next to her as though it were a normal occurrence. Someone, who at one time had been a colleague and close friend before all but disappearing 5 years ago. Part of her wanted to ask if his friend Jack could be trusted, though she figured he could, else Daniel wouldn't have brought him along, knowing the sort of information she was going to share with him and how important it was. "So, how are you, Daniel? It's been a while…" she joked weakly.

Daniel nodded, giving her an awkward smile. "I'm…I'm good. Little tired, but you know," he said, trying to keep things light-hearted. "You uh…you look well," he said, feeling his cheeks flush.

Kaitlyn smiled. "Thank you, although I feel anything but…" she said with a laugh.

O'Neill glanced at the two in his rear-view mirror. The conversation seemed strained. There was certainly tension in the air, which on the surface appeared to be sexual, though there was something deeper...

"So…what happened, Kait?" Daniel asked, eager to learn of the events of the last 24 hours.

Kaitlyn took a deep breath. "Well…we were examining artifacts from the original Giza expedition in 1931. Amazing pieces, I might add. I was in absolute archaeological heaven."

Daniel laughed. He could imagine. "Wasn't that the one where everyone died within a year of the dig and then afterwards the ship that transported all the artifacts from that expedition sank?"

"Yes, that's it. We were very lucky to have an opportunity to study and catalogue a lot of the items that had been recovered. Problem was, the Egyptian government wanted them back as soon as possible, so we were on a tight schedule. I found a piece that, at first glance, isn't all that unusual but a closer look stumped everyone at the museum, even Dr Jordan." Kaitlyn produced the gold amulet from her satchel. "I could tell straight away it was Osiris and the glyphs on the amulet confirmed this, but when I didn't recognise the second set of glyphs, I asked Dr Jordan for help. They're similar to the first set but the dialect looks slightly different. When neither of us could work out what it was, we sent it down to the lab for carbon analysis," Kaitlyn said, handing Daniel the amulet. "Daniel…the results told us it was over 10,000 years old."

Daniel studied both sets of glyphs on the amulet. Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed - it _was_ Goa'uld.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hear what I said? This means your theories about the Egyptians being a lot older than was first discovered is true."

Daniel looked up at Kaitlyn's excited face and felt terrible. Here she was thinking she'd found proof of his ridiculed theories and Daniel didn't know how to break it to her he already knew. He nodded a little absently. "I know."

Kaitlyn was taken aback at his nonchalance her eyes widening a little. "You know?"

Daniel nodded.

She had expected him to jump out of his skin with excitement at the find that proved him correct. Unless… "You recognise the dialect…don't you…" Kaitlyn said in quiet disbelief.

Jack glanced up again in his rear-view mirror, seeing the shocked face of one archaeologist and the almost sad expression of another, about to break news that wasn't the news that it was thought to be.

Daniel nodded again. "Yeah."

"Wh…how? I don't understand…"

Daniel sighed. "It's a long story, Kait. I wish I could tell you everything…but I can't."

Kaitlyn raised both eyebrows at Daniel. "You can't? What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean…I can't. It's…classified information."

Kaitlyn snorted. "Classified? Gosh, Daniel, you sound like you're in the military or something," she said, laughing in disbelief.

Daniel looked down, not quite sure where to look at that moment.

Kaitlyn looked over at Daniel incredulously, realising he wasn't laughing with her. "You're not serious…"

Daniel looked up at her, not really wanting to see her expression. "Actually, I am."

"Why? I mean…what could you possibly be doing in the military that would further your archaeological career?"

"I can't tell you. As I said, it's…"

"Classified, yes you said that," Kaitlyn said, her mood beginning to tense. "So, let me get this straight. I've come all this way, somehow managing _not_ to get myself captured, to share an artifact I thought was going to be the highlight of my career and the vindication of yours, only to find out that you've seen the dialect already because you've been working on some top secret military project which is _why_ you obviously disappeared 5 years ago without so much as a goodbye and now you can't share it with me because it's classified!" Kaitlyn yelled, though instantly regretted it. She didn't mean to take it out on Daniel. Truth was, if he knew about this already, it was a great achievement for him, though it meant little to her if she wasn't able to share in the excitement. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before she turned back to face the front and thumped the door with her fist, fighting back tears of disappointment. The relief of being safe and the shock of Daniel's news were almost too much. Kaitlyn felt like the kid who'd was clearly winning the hurdle race, then, on the last hurdle, clipped the edge with her foot and fell.

Jack glanced back and forth between the road and the scene in the back, feeling a little sorry for the both of them. Daniel had literally been plucked out of his former life to help with the Stargate program, a decision he never regretted considering the mess he was in at the time, though there were clearly people in that life that had not been happy about his 'disappearing act'.

Daniel didn't know what to say. What could he say that would even begin to appease her? "Kait…I'm sorry. I never meant to…not call or…let you know I was OK. Everything kinda happened so fast…and before I knew it…my whole life had changed."

Kaitlyn nodded, though still kept staring straight ahead.

"What you've found is still amazing. And just so you know…there aren't many people that know what I know…so it's still a great find," Daniel said, hoping it would make her feel a little better, even though, he had to admit, it sounded a little patronising.

"So where are we going then?" Kaitlyn asked, looking over at Daniel, keeping her voice even.

"High security government facility," O'Neill interrupted.

Kaitlyn almost jumped at the sound of the other man's voice, not expecting him to have spoken. "I suppose you're in on this too?" she scoffed. "I'm guessing your name isn't even Jack, right?"

O'Neill smirked. "Oh yeah…it is…just…stick a _Colonel_ in front of it and an _O'Neill _on the end. Two L's."

She gritted her teeth a little. She knew enough about the military to know they covered stuff like this up, otherwise, there would've been no reason for she and Daniel to have fallen out of contact. He may have been in a bad headspace at the time, but he obviously severed the ties because he _had_ to. He wouldn't have been able to share anything with her anyway. "So, let me guess…you'll just…take my amulet, ask me a few questions, give me some vague cover story and send me on my merry way?" Kaitlyn said sourly.

Daniel shook his head. "It won't be like that, Kait…I…"

"How will it be?" she snapped. "Isn't that you military do? If you can't tell me anything…what's the point?"

"I'm still a civilian, I'm not military. I just work with them. Look, there may be more I can tell you…"

"Daniel…" O'Neill warned.

"Just…not yet…" Daniel finished.

"I think the General may have a different view on that."

Kaitlyn's shoulders slumped in defeat as she sat back against her seat, fiddling with the ankh around her neck. The whole thing was turning from bad to worse.


	5. Chapter 5

Soon enough, they were making their way into the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Kaitlyn flanked by both Daniel and Colonel O'Neill, as they escorted her through and down to the guest quarters, as ordered. She kept perfectly quiet, afraid of what would come out of her mouth if she spoke.

"So uh…just make yourself at home. You should find it quite comfortable in here," Daniel said, hoping to shift Kaitlyn's mood.

"Oh yeah…just like home," she retorted sarcastically as she walked past Daniel, taking in her surroundings.

"Kait…please…I'm going to see if I can sort something out. Just give me some time, OK?" he asked gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Kaitlyn softened, a part of her feeling bad for giving Daniel such a hard time, especially seeing as she'd been looking forward to seeing him. The whole thing was just a big let down. Maybe a rest lift her spirits. "Fine."

"Is there…anything I can get for you?" Daniel offered, his blue eyes sparkling at her.

"No. I'll be fine."

Daniel nodded, his gaze lingering a moment. "OK," and with that, walked out behind O'Neill.

Once they'd gone, Kaitlyn dropped her satchel on the coffee table and flopped onto the couch. It was certainly a relief to be able to breathe again, so to speak, though the enormous weight of disappointment she now carried felt very heavy. She was glad she had the artifact somewhere safe, even if it meant she wasn't going to learn everything she wanted to know about it. It was away from Steven and that was the main thing.

Kaitlyn had a feeling that seeing Daniel again had added to her broodiness too. All this time, she'd actually thought he'd gone into hiding or, even worse, a small part thought something darker had become of her former friend. He'd had a history of depression, and considering what had happened just before he disappeared, it wasn't so far fetched. The Daniel she'd seen earlier seemed a lot more comfortable and confident within himself, which, in spite of the situation, made her smile. He'd always been such a gentle and soft personality and most likely, he still was. He always saw the good in everyone. Kaitlyn loved that about him as it also had a positive influence on her. Knowing Daniel would do his best to help her in her situation made her feel a little calmer. She would definitely have to apologise for her outburst earlier. It was unfair and she regretted the first conversation in 5 years had been to yell at him. As was often the case, Daniel rarely raised his voice, even when challenged. You had to really push him to get a rise out of him.

Kaitlyn pulled out the amulet again and settled herself back on the couch. She had a feeling this was going to be a reasonably long process.

******

"That went well," O'Neill said sarcastically as they headed up to Hammond's office.

"Yeah…I wasn't expecting _that_ reaction…though I can't blame her. I know I'd probably feel the same if it were me."

"Bit like you actually…feisty when cornered. It's hot." Realising what he said, Jack tried to back peddle. "Not that I think…you're hot…I meant her…that she was…"he managed, falling over his words, embarrassed.

Daniel refused to bite. "She's _passionate_ about what she does, Jack. Even though this is daily occurrence stuff to us, this is major for her. She just wants the right thing to be done."

O'Neill and Daniel took a seat in Hammond's office as he gestured them in. Daniel had no idea how he was going to convince the General to let him share information with Kaitlyn, though he was going to do everything in his power to try.

"So, Dr Jackson, what have you learned from Dr Richards?" Hammond asked.

"Well, uh…short version is that she found an Osiris amulet with Ancient Egyptian & Goa'uld glyphs on it. She knew from the face on the amulet and the Egyptian glyphs that it was Osiris but no idea what the other ones meant. It was carbon dated at over 10,000 years, hence why she called me."

"I see."

"Sir…she wasn't exactly _happy_ that I couldn't give her any information. She's gone through a lot in the last 12 hours. Finding an artifact that's over 10,000 years old, being hunted for said piece, watching me recognise the glyphs when she thought it would be ground breaking for both of us _and_ that I now work with the military was a lot for her to take in. Someone was after her for the amulet. I'm still as yet to find out who, though. I didn't want to push her too much before she's had a chance to catch her breath. Sir, without realising it, she's brought an artifact, that, for all we know could be dangerous, away from the outside world, and that's a good thing. I guess what I'm saying is," Daniel said, steepling his fingers. "Sir, we need to give her _something_. Something that will make her feel that what she's found is not yesterday's news and will at least give her a little compensation for what she's been through.

"I can't authorise that, Dr Jackson, I'm sorry."

"General, please. I know this is not an ideal situation, but she's an archaeologist and all she wants is what every archaeologist only _hopes_ they'll find in their lifetime. That…Holy Grail, if you will. Now to her, she's found that…and in some way, I feel responsible. The fact that the artifact is over 10,000 years old means that, to her, my theories I was ridiculed for, are true, or potentially true. If she'd never called me or had taken it to her superiors, we'd be none the wiser right now. She trusts me, sir. At least, I hope she still does. We can't just take this from her and not give her anything in return."

Hammond nodded. Daniel had a point. He looked over at O'Neill to gauge his reaction. "I'll take that under advisement, Dr Jackson."

"Thank you, sir."

"Colonel? Do you see any potential issues with Dr Jackson's proposal?"

"Hard to say, sir. Don't know much about her at this point. What _does_ concern me is why someone wasafter her. Doubtful they know what we know. Most likely jealousy and/or greed, but it's always best to be certain…"

Hammond nodded again. "Agreed. See what you can find out. I want to know who was after Dr Richards and whether it was for petty greed or something deeper. Dismissed."

Daniel and Jack both nodded, before heading out again.

"Let me talk to her, Jack. She's already feeling like a fish out of water. I'd like to try and make her feel a bit more at ease."

O'Neill mulled this over. "Yeah, alright. No matter how much she protests, Daniel, remember…not a word…" he said warningly.

"Yeah, Jack, I got it."


	6. Chapter 6

Daniel made his way up to Level 25, fidgeting nervously. Reaching Kaitlyn's room, he lingered in the doorway for a moment, watching her study the amulet.

Sensing a presence, Kaitlyn looked up from her artifact. Seeing it was Daniel, she gave him a warm, and somewhat sheepish, smile. "Hey," she said quietly, lowering her eyes a little.

"Hey," he said, returning the smile as he moved to sit quietly beside her. "How you holding up?"

As Daniel sat down, Kaitlyn slumped back into the couch, partially in exhaustion though mostly out of frustration. "Well, apart from the fact I have been staring pointlessly at these unusual glyphs, I have the distinct feeling this amulet is more than just a nice piece to look at."

Daniel looked thoughtful. "What makes you think that?"

"The fact there is no hole in the top tells me it probably wasn't worn on a necklace. My guess is that it's a key to something. Maybe a sarcophagus or a tomb?"

"Good point," he agreed, wondering how he'd missed that. He gave her a warm smile that reached his eyes.

Kaitlyn shifted a little then, feeling the sincerity exude from the man next to her. "Look, Daniel, I'm…I'm sorry about what happened earlier…" Kaitlyn began. "I didn't mean to go off at you the way I did. It was rude of me. I guess I was still freaking out after what had happened and coupled with seeing you again for the first time in five years…guess my emotions got the better of me."

"It's OK," he said with a light shrug. "It was a lot to take in at once. I have to admit, I didn't know what to expect. Knowing how close we were and that I never contacted you after I left, which I always felt bad about, I'm surprised you didn't beat me to a pulp," he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Kaitlyn laughed. "Suppose you're lucky then, though I do tend to jump quickly when I feel like I've been blind-sided. It was wrong of me and I'm sorry. I guess I just, wasn't expecting…actually I don't know what I was expecting. Whatever it was, it wasn't _this,_" she said, gesturing around her.

Daniel laughed a little. "Yeah, not exactly somewhere you'd expect to find your average archaeologist, right?"

Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow at him. "Daniel, you may be many things, but average is not really a word I'd use to describe you," she said softly.

Daniel felt his cheeks flush and looked down, a little embarrassed by her candour. He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt very dry. "Well, thankyou, Kait. That's nice of you to say," he replied, a little embarrassed.

"It's the truth," she said, putting a hand briefly on his shoulder.

Daniel looked up at her and smiled awkwardly, his heart beating a little faster from her touch. "Oh, I uh, I've asked my superior for permission to let me tell you more about your amulet," he said quickly, wanting to change the subject. "He's looking into it, so there's a chance. At least it wasn't a flat out 'No'."

"Well, that's something, I guess," Kaitlyn agreed.

"Kait, I'm going to do my best to help you get to the bottom of all this, I promise. Now, from what you've said to me, it sounds like you knew the person who was after you."

Kaitlyn's eyes became dark then. "Actually I do. It was Steven."

Daniel did a double take. "Steven? As in Steven Rayner?"

"Yes."

Daniel was shocked. "Why?"

"I always suspected Steven was never in it for the science. I know he felt like he always walked in your shadow. He even admitted it to me when he pointed a gun at my head."

"He pointed a _gun_ at you?" Daniel gaped, eyebrows raised.

"He said he wasn't content walking in anyone's shadow anymore. I knew he was referring to you. Your name was referenced so often by Dr Jordan, I guess he couldn't take it anymore. I suspect he isn't working alone either. When I left the building, I passed two men and saw them run out after me, along with Steven, before I got into a taxi. Knowing the weasel that he is, he's probably offering the artifact, if not other things, to the highest bidder."

Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, perishing the thought. "The main thing is, you're safe. Did you get a look at the men?"

"No, I didn't. I was too busy trying to get the hell out of there."

"Understandable. Funny, I never had a lot of time for Steven, but I never would've thought him to do a thing like this."

Kaitlyn shrugged. "Me either. I mean, Steven and I rarely saw eye to eye. Amazing what blind greed will do to a person," she said witheringly.

Daniel nodded in agreement. "So, what about Dr Jordan? Is he involved too?"

"I don't think so, though I'm not entirely sure. I couldn't find him _anywhere_ after the news came through about the amulet. What disturbed me was that his cell phone was sitting on his desk when I looked in his office. He never goes anywhere without it. I just hope he's alright."

"That _is_ strange," Daniel agreed.

"I don't know, Daniel. The whole thing just seems surreal to me. I'm terrified of this amulet falling into the wrong hands."

"Well, it, along with you, is safe here. It's not going anywhere."

"Thank you. That's why I called you in the first place. I trust you, Daniel. I knew that, wherever you were, you'd be able to help somehow."

"I'll do whatever I can, Kait."

Kaitlyn nodded in appreciation, feeling an awkward silence fall upon them. There were things that still needed to be said, though neither of them wanted to be the one to bring any of it up.

Daniel cleared his throat then. "Uh, I've uh, got a few things to catch up on. Pretty swamped at the moment. I'll let the General know about Steven and see if we can find out anything more."

"Uh, sure. Thanks."

"Is there anything I can get for you? You hungry? I can arrange for some food to be sent up?"

Kaitlyn shook her head. "I'm OK."

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me," she said lightly, though she wasn't looking forward to more hours of endlessly doing nothing.

"OK," Daniel conceded. "Just uh, just buzz my cell if you need anything," he offered before turning and heading back up to his office.

Collapsing back into his desk chair, Daniel put his head on his arms. He thought he'd dealt with all of his feelings. Out of sight, out of mind. This just threw everything he'd repressed into chaos. He'd wanted to stay and chat to her, but his was the kind of work that stopped for no one. Lifting his head up, Daniel grabbed his notebook and busied himself with some translations so as not to dwell on things he'd prefer to keep at bay.


	7. Chapter 7

What felt like only half an hour later, though it was more like two, Daniel's phone rang, snapping him out of his translation zone. He picked it up haphazardly, almost dropping it.

"Dr Jackson, I organised a few background checks to be run on Dr Richards and everything has come out clean," came the official voice of Hammond.

Daniel smiled. He didn't really think there would've been an issue.

"Therefore, I'm authorising you to be able to share information with her, pending her signing an NDA."

"That's good news, sir. Thank you."

"Dr Jackson, please be sure you are very clear with Dr Richards about what it is she's signing. Ensure she understands the ramifications if she is found to be in breach of the NDA…" he trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

"I know, sir and I understand. Oh, sir? I found out who it was that was after Kaitlyn. Another former colleague named Steven Rayner. Kaitlyn believes he's not working alone but has no idea who."

"Thank you, Dr Jackson. I'll follow it up."

As he hung up the phone, Daniel felt a ripple of delight, happy he was now able to share about the Goa'uld inscription and what had happened to him over the last 5 years.

* * * * * *

A short while later, Daniel had Kaitlyn in his office, showing her some of the artifacts they had found off-world.

Kaitlyn's mind was buzzing with all the information she was trying to take in. "This is amazing. So, you're telling me that various teams travel all around the galaxy to try and form alliances and acquire alien technologies to aid earth in the defense of this Go…Goo…"

"Goa'uld," Daniel corrected.

"Right. Them. It all sounds very Star Trek to me, Daniel," she said with a small laugh. "I mean, how is that possible? Have NASA developed some kind of whiz-bang space shuttle that just zaps you across the galaxy?" she asked with a laugh.

At that moment, Carter walked by Daniel's office and, upon noticing an unfamiliar face, wandered in. This was probably the Dr Richards she'd heard about.

"Uh…not exactly," Daniel said in response to Kaitlyn's question, before turning his attention to Carter. "Hey, Sam."

"Hey," Carter said giving him a warm smile, before looking over at Kaitlyn.

"Sam, this is Dr Kaitlyn Richards. She's an old colleague from Chicago. Kait, this is Major Samantha Carter, our resident technical genius."

Carter blushed a little and rolled her eyes. "Daniel… Nice to meet you, Dr Richards," Carter said, shaking Kaitlyn's hand.

"It's a pleasure, Major Carter. Please, call me Kaitlyn."

"If you'll call me, Sam."

"Deal," she said with a smile, starting to feel a little less out of place.

Daniel looked from Sam to Kaitlyn, smiling briefly. It wasn't often he got to stand in between not only two beautiful women, but two beautiful _strong_ women.

Kaitlyn and Sam shared a look, wondering what could be going through Daniel's mind at the moment?

"Daniel? You still with us?" Sam asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Zoned out for a second there."

Carter smiled. She could only wonder why. "So, what are you two working on?"

"Actually, I was just about to explain to Kaitlyn how it is we manage to travel through the galaxy. She's a sceptic."

"I am not!" Kaitlyn protested. "Not really. I just, find it all a little hard to swallow."

Carter smiled. "I got a better idea. Why don't we show her?" she said with a grin and headed out of Daniel's office.

Daniel gestured Kaitlyn out, following closely behind Carter.

Walking through the corridors, passing the odd airman or officer, Daniel watched Kaitlyn look around her, taking it all in. "This is going to blow your mind," he said, barely being able to contain himself.

As they took the lift down, Kaitlyn watched the numbers go up on the display panel. "How many levels _are_ there?" she asked, wondering how far into the ground this place actually went.

"28, which is where we're going," Carter said matter-of-factly as the lift doors opened.

"28! We're 28 stories under the surface?" Kaitlyn said, feeling a little nervous. "Bloody hell…" she muttered quietly.

General Hammond was already in the control room when they arrived. "Hello, Dr Jackson, Major Carter."

"Sir," the two replied respectively.

"General, this is Dr Kaitlyn Richards. Kaitlyn, this is General Hammond."

Kaitlyn nodded politely. "It's nice to meet you, General. And may I also say thankyou for allowing me to learn more about what it is I've discovered."

Hammond returned her nod. "Well, Dr Richards, let's hope we can get to the bottom of why one of your colleagues wants this amulet so badly and who he's potentially working with."

"Thank you, sir," Kaitlyn said gratefully and with that, Hammond moved to the other side of the room to talk to one of the technicians.

At that moment, the klaxons went off and the voice of Sgt Harriman was heard over the PA. "Beginning dialling sequence."

Kaitlyn jumped some, not expecting the loud noise that echoed throughout the room. "What's going on?" she asked, a little panicked.

Daniel smiled. "It's alright," he reassured her as they continued further into the control room. "Lucky for you, you're going to get to see the gate in operation."

"The what?"

"The Stargate," Daniel said simply."

She turned her head slightly, her eyes settling onto the enormous ring in the middle of the room below, watching an inner ring spin with a bunch of symbols on it. She hadn't noticed it when she'd walked into the room as people had been in the way.

"Chevron 1, encoded," Harriman announced.

Kaitlyn's mouth dropped open as the wheel began to spin in the opposite direction, not believing what she was seeing.

Carter and Daniel watched on in amusement.

"Chevron 2, encoded."

Kaitlyn turned around to face Daniel and Carter. "A Stargate…what does it do?"

"Well," Carter offered. "The 39 symbols on the Stargate represent constellations. Each planet has an address of six symbols and the seventh symbol represents the planet you're dialling from."

"Chevron 3, encoded."

"You're _dialling_ a planet?" Kaitlyn asked incredulously.

Carter nodded. "Basically, yes."

"Chevron 4, encoded."

"So, once you've dialled all 7 symbols, then what?"

"Watch," Daniel said, pointing at the gate."

Kaitlyn waited patiently while the last 3 chevrons engaged and as the last one did, an enormous burst of water was propelled outward, the unexpected act causing her to back straight into Daniel.

"Whoa, you OK?" he asked, steadying her.

"Sorry," she apologised as she caught his eye, feeling a little stupid. "Wasn't expecting that."

As the burst retracted inward, a rippling pool of light and water was left glistening inside the ring. Kaitlyn wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She turned to face Carter and Daniel again. "It's incredible. How does the water stay like that?" she said, almost a whisper.

Carter pointed toward the computer. "It's not really water. It's an illusion. See, the Stargate is made from a quartz-like mineral called Naquada, a metal that is not found here on earth but is capable of handling the large amounts of energy needed to sustain a wormhole and form what you're seeing now; the event horizon. An event horizon is basically the beginning of a wormhole if you like."

Kaitlyn raised a confused eyebrow. Most of Sam's explanation had gone over her head. "You've totally lost me now. A wormhole?"

"It's basically a virtual conduit between one Stargate and another."

"Told you she was a genius," Daniel stage-whispered to Kaitlyn.

"Sending through the M.A.L.P," Harriman confirmed.

Carter gestured her over to the dialling computer.

"We send a M.A.L.P, or a Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe, through to each world before we send any teams. It allows us to check vital signs of a planet, such as whether it has breathable air and if the temperature is too hot/cold etc or if there's any sign of hostile action," Carter explained. "Watch what happens when the M.A.L.P goes through."

General Hammond finished his conversation with the technician and walked over to the dialling computer, watching as the M.A.L.P disappeared.

Kaitlyn turned her attention to the ramp as the probe went through the watery-looking puddle and disappeared, then turned back to the computer. The image of the M.A.L.P that was on the computer slowly dissolved, reappearing again a few moments later.

"Receiving M.A.L.P telemetry," Harriman advised. After a few moments: "Looks good, sir."

"SG-12, you have a go," Hammond's voice said over the PA.

Kaitlyn watched as four men, dressed in battle gear and carrying weapons made their way up the ramp and through the event horizon. Within moments, the shimmering puddle vanished and Kaitlyn was able to see the wall through the ring again. She opened her mouth a couple of times and closed it again. "I'm…speechless. That's the most amazing thing I have ever seen!"

"Daniel here made it possible," Carter said proudly, feeling smug that she could repay him for embarrassing her earlier. "He was the one who worked out that the symbols on the gate were constellations and that in order to make a successful connection, you needed six symbols for each planet and the seventh symbol was the point of origin."

"Wow, that's amazing," Kaitlyn said, awed by the amazing technology that was the Stargate.

Daniel shrugged, somewhat uncomfortablly. "I guess."

Carter hit him playfully. "Aw come on, Daniel. Without you, there'd be no Stargate program!"

"Is this what you disappeared for 5 years ago?" Kaitlyn asked quietly.

Daniel nodded. "I'm sure you heard about the last public seminar I gave," he said witheringly.

Kaitlyn winced. She had heard and had felt terrible for him at the time. "I tried to call you when I heard, but you didn't return any of my calls."

Daniel hung his head a little. "I know. I'm sorry. I just felt so lost, as though I was at my absolute lowest and it couldn't get any worse. As I stood in the rain, contemplating my miserable fate, with no money for a cab, no apartment to go home to and no girlfriend to turn to…"

Kaitlyn visibly stiffened. The girlfriend Daniel spoke of had been Sarah Gardner, a point that was still a little sore with her. "I heard Sarah left you." she said quietly. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. She left the museum over a year ago. I haven't heard from her since, though I hardly expected to."

Carter noticed the sudden uncomfortable tension between Daniel and Kaitlyn. She could hazard a guess there was obviously more to the relationship between these two than either were letting on.

"Anyway," Daniel went on, trying to shift the awkwardness. "I was shuffled into a car and inside was this woman, who we now know to be Catherine Langford, the woman behind the first research into the Stargate. She knew all this stuff about me and before I knew it, she was offering me a job to translate ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and told me that it could potentially prove my theories right. She handed me some travels plans and I was ushered out of the car. I was in shock to tell you the truth. After what I'd just been through, I was a little dubious as to why _this_ woman believed me. At first I thought she was mocking me. I remember getting out of the car, standing in the rain and thinking 'Why not? What else do I have left? Everyone thinks I'm a lunatic'; and just like that, I disappeared from the outside world."


	8. Chapter 8

Daniel had barely finished his speech when the klaxons went off again.

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" Harriman announced, closing the iris.

Carter moved to the dialling computer to see if any known IDC was being sent.

Hammond appeared with O'Neill and Teal'c close behind.

Kaitlyn moved back a little as the group crowded around the computer, barely noticing her. She watched as a large metal circle was closed inside the inner ring. It appeared to be some form of protection. Kaitlyn noticed the burly man walk in behind Jack, a face she hadn't met yet. He had an unusual branding on his forehead though she couldn't quite make it out without looking like she was staring.

"Receiving Tok'ra IDC, sir," Harriman advised.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered.

The iris was opened, and within moments, Jacob Carter stepped through, the event horizon vanishing behind him.

Sam smiled, happy to see her father and headed down into the gate room, the rest of SG-1 on her heels.

Daniel gestured Kaitlyn to follow, assuring her it was OK.

Kaitlyn felt awkward again, wondering what the hell a Tok'ra was. She really felt like the fish out of water. Deal with it, she scolded herself. You _are_ the fish out of water, and followed Daniel down to the gate room.

"Stand down," Hammond ordered the SFs, to which they obeyed and lowered their weapons.

"Hey, Sam," Jacob said warmly, embracing his daughter.

"Hey, Dad. Good to see you."

While Jacob and Sam caught up for a moment, Daniel moved between Kaitlyn and Teal'c. "Uh, Kait, this is Teal'c. He's the fourth member of SG-1. Teal'c, this is a former colleague of mine, Dr Kaitlyn Richards."

"Nice to meet you Teal'c," Kaitlyn said with a smile. Interesting name, she thought, wondering where it originated from. Something about him gave her the suspicion he may not have been from earth.

Teal'c bowed his head gently in return.

Hey, folks," Jacob said, acknowledging the rest of SG-1, though there was a face he didn't recognise. "New recruit?" he asked Jack, wondering why there was a civilian in the gate room.

Jack opened his mouth to answer, however, Daniel beat him to it. "Not exactly, Jacob. This is Dr Kaitlyn Richards. She's a former colleague from Chicago. Bit of a long story, really. Kait, this is Sam's father, Jacob."

Kaitlyn smiled, though she thought it odd that, if this was Sam's father, why had he come through the Stargate? The whole thing was damn confusing. "Hello."

"Hi there," Jacob said simply, a little puzzled as to why she was here, though he'd probably find out soon enough. He turned his attention back to the group. "I wish I could say I was here on a more pleasant note, folks."

"What's wrong, Dad?" Sam asked concerned.

Jacob looked grimly at the group. "The Tau'ri are in danger," he said simply.

O'Neill rolled his eyes. "Oh, is _that_ all! So what's new, Jacob? Wouldn't be a normal working week here if some snake head wasn't making a threat against the SGC or Earth itself," he quipped.

"Well, you're right about it being a Goa'uld. Ever heard of Osiris?"

Daniel's stomach turned. Osiris. Why did he get the nauseating feeling that this had something to do with Kaitlyn's amulet? "I have."

"As have I," Kaitlyn added, looking a little worriedly at Daniel. It all seemed a little too coincidental that the amulet was Osiris and now this man, Jacob, was talking about him.

"Osiris was the god of the Afterlife," Daniel explained. "In power, he was second only to his father, Ra, and was the leader of the gods on earth. He was the husband of Isis and the father of Horus."

"This is sounding a little familiar…" O'Neill interjected.

"Osiris resided in the underworld as the lord of the dead, as after being killed by Set, even though he was a god, he could no longer dwell in the land of the living."

"I hate to tell you this, Dr Jackson, but Osiris is alive and well, though _he_ is now a _she_, having taken a female host this time."

"Why does Osiris want to attack the Tau'ri, Jacob Carter?" Teal'c piped up.

Kaitlyn looked between Daniel and Jacob as well as the burly man with the tattoo. Osiris was alive? What did he mean he'd taken a host? And what the hell was a Tau'ri? Kaitlyn's head was spinning. There was something so not right here. She kept quiet though and listened.

"Apparently you have something she wants. I haven't heard any more but I wanted to come as quick as I could to warn you."

"Appreciate that, Jacob," O'Neill said.

Daniel and Kaitlyn exchanged a glance, both having a pretty good idea what it was that she wanted.

Sam picked up on the look that went between the pair, coming to the same realisation herself. "The amulet."

They nodded in unison.

"What's so special about this amulet?" Hammond asked.

Kaitlyn shrugged. "I'm not sure, sir, though I had an idea earlier that it may be some kind of key, simply for the fact there is no hole to string it onto a necklace, which was often the case with this style of piece. Sounds like she wants what's inside of whatever the key opens."

Hammond mulled this over. "Jacob, do you have any idea where this Osiris is now?"

"My sources tell me she's currently inhabiting a small planet called Kalnek."

"You have the address?"

"Yes, sir."

"OK, SG-1, I want you to check this out, providing the M.A.L.P doesn't send back any immediate signs of hostile action."

"Uh, sir? Request permission to bring Dr Richards along," Daniel asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not! I'm not authorising a civilian to venture into a potentially dangerous situation."

"With all due respect, sir," Daniel protested. "Kaitlyn brought the amulet to _us._ If it weren't for her, we wouldn't have a clue right now as to what Osiris might want."

"Be that as it may, Dr Jackson, I cannot knowingly allow anyone that is not part of the SGC to be subjected to the kinds of conditions that you're potentially going to come up against."

"Pardon me for interrupting, General," Kaitlyn interjected. "I certainly don't want to push my limits here…but if you're worried about me not being able to look after myself or slowing the team down…well I can assure you…that won't be an issue," she said quietly.

Several sets of eyes turned to look at her, the most surprised and confused being Daniel's.

"How so, Dr Richards?"

"I've uh, had fairly extensive martial arts training & a small amount of combat training. I've been in many training scenarios as well as several real-life scenarios."

Daniel's mouth dropped open slightly. OK, this was not something he expected.

O'Neill wasn't convinced. "And how is it that a female version of Daniel here has had so much martial arts _and_ _combat _training, hmmm? Not exactly a pre-req in your line of work?" he sniped, raising his eyebrows.

Kaitlyn chewed her cheek and looked down at her shoes before looking back at O'Neill, eyes a little dark. She knew he was probably challenging her to protect her and his team, but she could do without the patronising "you're a female" tone. "Let's just say I had an interesting life growing up on the streets of London," she replied coldly.

Carter shot O'Neill a look.

O'Neill caught it and softened for a moment, pulling back his sarcasm to a serious tone. "Ever used a gun?"

"When I've had to," she said off-handedly. Truth was, she knew how to use a gun _very_ well, though it was not something she was prepared to go into at that point.

Daniel was horrified. How was it this accomplished and talented woman, who held two doctorates to her name, was once a kid on the streets and had handled weapons? He himself had only picked up a gun upon joining the SGC. When he thought about it, there was probably a lot he didn't know about Kaitlyn and her past. It had never come up in conversation and he could see why.

O'Neill wasn't entirely convinced though he was starting to get the feeling that maybe Kaitlyn was more capable than he first thought, however he wanted to make sure. If she'd lived on the streets of London, it was very possible she'd used some sort of handgun. He walked over to one of the SFs and took his Beretta, removed the magazine and walked back over to Kaitlyn, handing her the two pieces. "I want you to put that together and shoot as close as you can to those two red marks on the wall over there."

"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Daniel asked, becoming defensive.

"Colonel?" Hammond asked warningly.

"Sir, if Dr Richards wants to accompany SG-1 into a potentially hostile situation, I want to know that I'm not going to be babysitting and that my back is covered," he said bluntly.

Hammond didn't like it, but he had to admit, if the woman could handle herself, he'd be OK with letting her go. "Alright, Colonel," he agreed, before turning to Kaitlyn. "Dr Richards, if you can proficiently do what the Colonel asks, I'll authorise you to accompany them on this mission."

"Yes, sir," Kaitlyn said quietly, looking down at the pieces of the Beretta in her hands. It had been quite a while since she'd held a gun similar to this, though it was certainly not foreign to her. Kaitlyn slid the magazine into the holster until it clicked, then cocked the gun, all the while keeping her eyes on O'Neill.

O'Neill was impressed, though he certainly wasn't going to concede just yet. Not showing any change in expression, his eyes moved to the wall.

Kaitlyn held the gun out in front of her, taking aim, as the group dispersed behind her. She squinted one eye, keeping the targets in sight. She fired the gun at the first target before adjusting and firing at the second, smiling inwardly as she realised she had hit both. Slowly, Kaitlyn lowered the weapon to her side.

The group behind had a few raised eyebrows among them, some of admiration, some disbelief.

O'Neill strode over to the wall to check how close Kaitlyn had been to the two targets, knowing full well she had hit both. He pretended to inspect the shots before heading back to the group.

Kaitlyn gave O'Neill a wry smile as she released the magazine and handed the pieces back to him. "Was I close?" she asked innocently.

O'Neill looked at her with a new-found admiration. "Close enough."

Collecting himself, Hammond couldn't help but crack a smile. "OK, Dr Jackson, request to have Dr Richards accompany SG-1, granted." The woman may not have combat training but she sure as hell was a good shot! At least she wouldn't slow them down. "Major Carter?"

Carter's head snapped up then, shaking her out of her daze. "Yes, sir?"

"Take Dr Richards with you to get some more suitable clothing to wear. Alright, SG-1, gear up! Dismissed."

The team moved out, heading toward the locker room. Daniel grabbed Kaitlyn's arm as she turned to leave. "Kait, I uh, that was…I had no idea," he said, partly in awe, partly feeling sorry for what she had possibly been through.

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Daniel," she said quietly, a hint of sadness in her voice. She gave him a small smile before following Carter out. As much as she cared for Daniel, there were still feelings of resent toward him she hadn't dealt with.

Daniel looked around, a little embarrassed. "Yeah," he muttered quietly to her retreating back, feeling the sting of her words. He knew deep down she wasn't being cruel to be cruel, but there were definitely unresolved issues between them, though it was just going to have to wait.


End file.
